Window lifting and lowering device for motor vehicles



June 17, 1947. W. s. wlsr-:MAN 2,422,456

WINDOW LIFTING AND LOWERING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed April 10,1944 Srmentor (Itfornegs Patented June 17, 1947 WINDOW LIFTING ANDLOWERING DEVICE i FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Walter S. Wiseman, Detroit, Mich.,assignor of fifteen per cent to Joseph P. Aubin and fifteen per cent toErnest M. Zahn, both of Detroit,

Mich.

Application April 10, 1944, Serial No. 530,283

4 Claims. l

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in window liftingand lowering devices for motor Vehicles.

The primary object/of this invention is to provide a window lifting andllowering device in which the operating parts are contained in an oiltight casing located within the confines of the vehicle door so thatsaid lifting and lowering device will be wholly within the normalcontour thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a window lifting andlowering device in which the operating parts will be constantlylubricated in a bath of oil contained in said casing so that they willwithstand considerable wear and permit the easy and frequent raising andlowering of the vehicle windows.

Another object of the invention is to provide a window lifting andlowering device capable of being easily and quickly installed as a unitin a motor vehicle door frame of conventional and standard form withoutrequiring the use of additional linkage for moving the window.

Another object of the invention is to provide a window lifting andlowering unit which may be easily and readily installed in a motorvehicle door structure by being inserted through a relatively smallopening therein and fastened in place on the inner wall of the doorstructure so that it is only necessary to make a single connection withthe window lifting and lowering linkage already installed in the doorstructure.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent during the course ofthe following description of the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is an elevational View of a vehicle door illustrating themanner in which the invention is applied thereto;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the window liftingand lowering mechanism showing the vari-ous parts in detail andillustrating the manner in which the casing is fastened and supportedwithin the confines of a vehicle door;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the L unit casing takenon line 3--3 in Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows toillustrate the concealed parts of the unit and the arrangement thereof;

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross sectional 'view taken on line 4--4 inFigure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows illustrating the mannerin which the driving motor is attached to the window lifting andlowering unit casing; and

Figure 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the unit casing takenon line 5-5 of Figure 2 illustrating the 'sliding cross-head and itsposition within said casing.

In the drawing there is shown an embodiment of the invention as beinginstalled in a vehicle door of conventional design and generallydesignated by the reference character 5. The door is shown as having aglass window 6 slidably mounted for Vertical movement between a pair ofvertical guide channels I secured to the door structure 5. Secured tothe lower edge of the window is a horizontal channel 8 having a pair oflugs 9 depending therefrom at each end thereof. Within each of the lugsis a horizontal slot I0 in each of .which is a pin II extendingfrom eachof the crossed links I2 and I3 which are pivoted as at I4. The lowerends of the links I2 and I3 are pivotally connected to lugs I5 and I6respectively projecting from the lower ends of the guide channels 'I inopposed relation one to the other. A pin I8 is provided for connectingthe lower end of the link I2 to the lug I5 while a pin I8 is securedtothe link I3 for operatively engaging within aslot I9 in said lug I8.

From the above description of the door and window structure it will bereadily observed that a vertical upward force applied to the link I2will cause said glass window 6 to be raised. SimllarlY, a verticaldownward force will cause said window to be lowered into said doorbetween the guide channels 'I. As the link I2 is pivoted about its pivotpin I1, the pins II and I8 slide in their respective slots I0 and I9,thereby permitting free and easy movement of the window 6.

The door structure includesy a pair of inner and outer spaced panelmembers 2S and 2l respectively, connected at their lower ends by a footportion 22 so as to provide a closed chamber 23 between the panels forpermitting the vertical sliding movement of the glass window 6. Formedin the inner panel member 2li. adjacent Ythe lower end of the doorstructure is an inspecand lowering unit corn-v and nuts which areadapted to clampingly secure the offset ends of the bracket in positionwith the offset upper end of the bracket fastened above the opening 24and the lower oiset end of the bracket fastened below said openings(Figure 2).

Each casing section includes front, back, side and end walls 38 to 4Irespectively with their meeting edges machined or the like to provide anoil tight point therebetween. Each casing section is provided with apair of guide ways 42 arranged in spaced apart relation adjacent thecorners of the side, front and back walls to slidably guide a crosshead43 to and from its limits of movement within the unit casing 25. Y

The meeting edges of the carsin'g'walls at the uppermost end of saidcasing are cut away as at 44 to provide semi-circular openings forreceiving a bearing bushing 45 and, similarly, the meeting edges of thebottom walls 4l of the casing are cut away to providesemi-circular'openings 46 for the reception of a bearing bushing 4l inaxial alignment with the bearing bushing 45. Rotatably supported by thebearing bushings 45 and 41 is a feed screw 48 having reduced ends 49 and58 forming bearing surfaces for. beingjournaled in said bushings 45 and41 respectively. The feed screw 48is threaded in an opening 52 in thecrosshead 43 toY feed the same along the guideways 42 upon rotation ofthe feed screwin either of its twodirections of movement.

The lower portion of the back wall 39 ofsaid casing section 21 isprovided with an offset housing formation 53 at the @nds of which arelocated bearing bosses 54 and-55 Yin axial alignment for supporting adrive shaft 56. y

The drive shaft 56 is directly connected to a reversible electricrcotor'l' secured to an offset angeportion 58 of the casing section-21byrneans of machine screws or bolts 59 so that the motor will besupported thereon and provide a unitary window lift structure capable ofbeing installed in the motor vehicle door after the door has been hungon the motor vehicle or before the motor vehicle has left the assemblyline. Actually, the drive shaft 56 may be in the form of an extension ofthe armature shaft of the motor 51 with areduced end portion 68journaled in the bearing boss 54 and the other end journaled in thebearing boss 55. Formed in the other casing section front walls 38 inopposed relation to the offset casing housing 53 is an arcuately curvedcasing section 6| for accommodating a worm wheel 62 keyed as by means ofa key 63 to the reduced bearing portion 50 of the screw feed shaft 48.The worm wheel 62 is in driving engagement with a worm 64 mounted on orformed integral with the armature shaft extension4 5E Yso that rotationof the armature shaft 56 will rotate the feed screw at a reduced rate ofspeed and thereby cause said crosshead 43 to be reciprocated within thesectional housing 25.

Secured to and extending upwardly from the cross-head 43 is a pair ofparallel slide shafts 65 and 66 having their lower ends reduced as at 61and 68 respectively for being received in openings 69 and 10 so that theextreme lower ends 4 thereof may be upset by being and 12.

The upper ends of the parallel reciprocating rods 65 and 66 aresimilarly reduced as at 13 and 14 respectively and said rods are adaptedto project through the upper wall 4I of the casing 25 and be guided byguide bushings 15 and 16 inserted in cut away portions 11 and 18 formedin the meeting edges of the casing sections 26 and 2l'.

Connected to and extending between the upper ends of the rods 65 and 66is a bridge piece 18 which is held in place by means of riveting crupsetting the ends of said rods as at 86 to thereby provide asubstantially rigid connection therebetween.

Secured to the intermediate portion of the bridge piece 16 is a clevis8l having its bifurcated arms 82 projecting upwardly and spaced apartfor the reception of a connecting link 83 by kmeans of a pivotalconnection 84. A stud 85 is formed on the clevis 8| and said stud isriveted in place as by being upset as at86. The upper end of theconnecting link 83 'is pivotally affixed to the cross lever 12 of thewindow linkages l2 and I3 to impart a Vertical up and down movementthereto.

The casing 25 is filled with a lubricant such as oil or grease toconstantly supply'the working parts of the window lift with a lubricantso that said parts will be bathed in a lubricant and thus prevented frombecoming worn due vto friction.

riveted as at 1| The electric motor is reversible to cause thecross-head 43 to be reciprocated in both of its directions, consequentlythe reciprocating rods will, travel up and down in response to the toand fro movement of the crosshead.` Such reciprocating movement will beimparted to the window 6 through the medium of the various connectinglinks and levers I2, i 3, 19 and 83.

After the window lift" unit has been installed by being affixed to theinner panel-20 of the Vdoor structure, the motor may be electricallyconnected to the vehicle source of current supply with a suitablereversing switch interposed in the'circuit so that'the driver mayoperate theA window lift from a remote point such as 'the dashboardofthe vehicle.

It is to be understood that the form of the lnvention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred embodiment of the same and thatvarious changes maybe made in the shape, size and arrangement of partswithout departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of thesubjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. A power-driven window regulator for raising and lowering a windowpane in a vehicle door opening, comprising a casing support mountedwithin said door and connected thereto a lubricant-tight enclosed casingmounted on said support and having bearing portions therethrough, avscrew shaft'rotatably mounted within said casing, an external motorconnected to said casing andhaving a motor shaft entering said casing,speedreducing mechanism within said casing operatively connecting saidmotor shaft to said screw shaft, a cross head threadedly connected tosaid screw shaft, a window pane carrier connected to said window paneand a power-transmitting mechanism extending from said cross headthrough said bearing portions to said windowpane carrier.

2. A power-driven window regulator for raising and lowering a Windowpane in a vehicle door opening, comprising a casing support mountedwithin said door and connected thereto a lubricant-tight enclosed casingmounted on said support and having bearing portions therethrough, ascrew shaft rotatably mounted within said casing, an external motorconnected to said casing and having a motor shaft entering said casing,speedreducing mechanism Within said casing operatively connecting saidmotor shaft to said screw shaft, a cross head threadedly connected tosaid screw shaft, a window pane carrier connected to said window pane, apair of reciprocable rods extending from said cross-head through saidbearing portions, and means for connecting said rods to said window-panecarrier externally of said casing.

3. A power-driven window regulator for raising and lowering a windowpane in a vehicle door opening, comprising a casing support mountedwithin said door and connected thereto a lubricant-tight enclosed casingmounted on said support and having bearing portions therethrough, ascrew shaft rotatably mounted within said casing, an external motorconnected to said casing and having a motor shaft entering said casing,speedreducing mechanism within said casing operatively connecting saidmotor shaft to said screw shaft, elongated guides disposed within saidcasing on opposite sides of said screw shaft, a cross head threadedlyconnected to said screw shaft with its opposite ends engaging saidguides, a window pane carrier connected to said window-pane and apower-transmitting mechanism extending from said cross-head through saidbearing portions to said Window-pane carrier.

4. A power-driven window regulator for raising and lowering a windowpane in a vehicle door opening, comprising a casing support mountedwithin said door and connected thereto a lubricant-tight enclosed casingmounted on said support and having bearing portions therethrough, ascrew window-pane, a pair of reciprocable rods extending from said crosshead through said bearing portions, and means for connecting said rodsto said window-pane carrier externally of said casing, said screw shaft,said guides and said rods being disposed substantially parallel to oneanother.

WALTER S. WISEMAN.

REFERENCES CTED The following references are of record in the le of thispatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,176,751 Hardy et al Mar. 28,1916 2,331,260 Wiseman Oct. 5, 1943 2,311,972 Simpson Feb. 23, 19432,324,145 Floraday July 13, 1943 1,409,459 Ludlow Mar. 14, 19222,306,723 Floraday Dec. 29, 1942 925,163 Dickie June 15, 1909 2,337,867Brotman et al Dec. 28, 1943 1,914,149 Mizer et al June 13, 19332,153,516 Eck g Apr. 4, 1939 2,315,571 Wilder Apr. 6, 1943 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 185,070 Germany June 3, 1907

